A COMPARISON OF PERSPECTIVES ABOUT THE CRITICAL AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE FOR SAFE FOOD HANDLING IN FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS

An advisory committee representing food scientists, food safety profes sionals, and psychometricians was formed to identify areas of knowledg e in food safety and sanitation that are critical for food establishme nts such as food retail, food serve, and food vending. The advisory co mmittee worked with personnel form local and state regulatory agencies to determine food safety competencies and skills needed for individua ls working in these types of food operations. An inventory of knowledg e areas and tasks was created and then reviewed by food safety experts nationwide. Knowledge areas were categorized into five main groups: 1 ) food; 2) cleaning, santizing, and maintenance; 3) facilities; 4) foo d personnel; and 5) legal and regulatory issues. The most important ta sks identified within these knowledge areas were ensuring food protect ion, preparing foods, and monitoring personal behaviors related to foo d safety. A detailed list of competencies in food safety knowledge and related tasks, in which the items are ranked by importance, will help in the development of education and training resources and certificat ion examinations for food handlers.